Automatic railroad-signal.



N0. 838,206. PATBNTE D OUT. 16 1906.

J. P. EGAN.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JULY-18, 190s.

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rarnnr OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

s-qplieation filed July 18,1906. Serial N0. 326.739.

Be it known that I, JOHN P. EGAN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of Worcester and State of Mes sach'uset'ts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railroad- Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements'in automatic signals, and more particularly to that class adapted to be used .in connection with railroads; and my prime object is to'provide means for automatically setting the brakes upon the cars from the side of the track while the train is in motion.

A further object is to provide means for disposing a contact-plate into the path of any armextending from the train for operating the brake mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent in the specification and. pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of my invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of a car and my improved brake mechanism secured thereto and an arm at the side of the track disposed. in the pathof said brake mechanism; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of acar, showing my im proved brake mechanism attached thereto and in position to be engaged by the operating device on the arm. V

.Refer'ring to the figures b numerals of reference, 1 indicates the usua form of box-car,

To mll'whom it may concern; t l.

an air-conveying pipe 2, said pipe being connected to the usual form of brake meeh anism. (Not shown.) At suitable points on each car a portion of the air-conveying pipe 2 is portion of said pipe and is provided with an extension 3 at the juncture of said pipe and extension, said extension being adapted to receive a plunger 4, said plunger being preferably bifurcated at its free end and has located therebetween a wheel 5, said wheel being pivotally secured in place by means of a shaft 6, extending through the bifurcated ends of the plunger 4 and the wheel. A

' he wheel 5 is disposed in a semicircular cam-slot 7 in the plunger-operating head 8, said head being secured upon a suitable shaft 9 and supported upon the car in any preferred manner; An arm 10 is formed 1ntegral with the head 8 .and extended through a slot 11 in the roof of the car,the extreme outer en d of the arm being provided with a contactroller 12, which is adapted to extend. into the path of an operating-plate 13, secured to the free end of an arm 14. That end of the head I 8 opposite the end containing the arm 10 is provided with an eye 1 5, into which is secured one end of a spring 16, said spring being secured at its opposite end to a bracket 17, carried by the car.

springs 20. .The arm 14 is pivotally secured to the p0st'21 at theside of the trackway and has secured to the free end thereofan operatingcable 22, said cable extending downwardly from said arm around the sheave 23 and to the usual form of operating-tower. (Not shown.) I

The object of my improved signal is to prevent'the train from passing a certain point when the danger-signal is set, and when said signal'is ignored and the tnain has passed beyond the signal-station the operator therein, disposes thearml i at right angles to the post i 21 and the plate 13 into the path of the arm 10 on the operating-head 8, and it will readily be seen that as the plate 13 is disposed at an angle to the arm 10 that whenthe roller 12 strikes the-plate 13 the arm 10 will be. de-

pressed and the head 8 rotated upon its pivotpoint 9 and the plunger withdrawn from the air"- conveying pipe, thereby causing the brakes upon that particular car to be set.

The head 8 is provided on its periphery with notches 18, which are The plate 13 is substantially V-shaped,

thereby providing oppositely-slanted faces, so that the arm 10 will be operated from either direction, and it will be seen that by having the central portion of the slot 7 c0ncentric 'with the pivot-point 9 and'each end of the slot eccentric with the pivot-point that when the arm 10 is moved ineither direction the plunger 4 will be operated and directed out of the pipe 2. Each face of theiplate 13 is disposed. at such an angle that when the arm .10 engages one portion thereof the head 8 will be rotated until one of the latches 19 engage one of the notches 18, therebyholding the plunger 4 out' of the air-conveying ICC pipe 2 and keeping the brakes set until such time as'it is desired to release the same. As

' soon as the latch 19 is released from the notch 18 the spring 16 will immediately return the head 8 to its normal position and return the plunger '4 into the air-conveying pipe 2 and cut the air from the brake mechanism and also restore the arm 10 into position to be again engaged by the operating-plate 1.3. At such times as it is des red to allow the train to pass by the signal-station without stopping the same the arm 14 is lowered and the plate 13 disposed out of the path of the arms 10.

I have shownthecar as provided with two of the brake-operating devices, so that should the car be turned end for end one of the arms 10 will always be in thepath of the plate 13;

' but, if preferred, one of the devices may be dispensed with and a plate 13 disposed at each side of the track, so that on whichever side of the car the arm may be itwill be 01perated It will-also be seenthat while t e devicesare shown as secured to the root of the car-they may be disposed at any convenient point on the car where they can be oper-' ated by the plate 13.

It is my object top'rovide each car in the train with suitable brake-operating mechan-.

each car as it passes by, and thus stopping the train. To regulate the height to which the plate 13 may be raised, a block or stop 24 is secured to the post 21 and extended into the path of the arm 14, so that said arm cannot be elevated above a horizontal position.

What I claim is i 1. .In a device of the class described, the combination with a railway-car having an air-conveying pipe thereon and an extension Ion said pipe; of a plunger disposed in said extension and adapted to close said pipe, a

head. pivotally secured to said car and having a cam-slot therein, a wheel carried by said plunger and disposed in said slot, an arm extending from said head, and means to engage said arm and rotate the head whereby the plunger will be removed from the air-conveymg pipe.

2. A device of the class described comprising the combination with a car having an airconveying pipe and an extension on said pipe; of a plunger disposed in said extension adapted to normally extend into the air-conveying pipe, and means to dispose said plunger into or out of said air-conveying pipe.

3. The combination with a railway-carpof an air-conveying 'pipe, an extension on said pipe, a plunger in said extension, a head pivotally arranged on said car andhaving a camslot,means carried by the plunger engagingsaid slot, anarm extending from saidhead, means to engage said armto rotate the head, and additional means to hold said head in its rotated-position. v v

4. The combination with a railWay-caryof an air-conveying pipe, a-plungePdisposed in said pipe, a headhaving a cam-slot therein,- means to rotate said head whereby said plun ger will be removed from the air-conveying pipe, means to engage said head and hold sald plunger out of said pipe, and additional means to return said head to its normal position when released.

5. The combinationwith a railway-c ar having brake-operating mechanism secured thereto; of means to operate said mechanism comprisinga plate, an arm integral with said'plate, said plate being substantially V- shaped, supporting means for said arm and plate, and additional means toraise or lower said arm and plate.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I I

JOHN P. EGAN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS J 1 CURL, WILLIAM J. OKANE. 

